KANSAS CITY, MO, February 16, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Ian M. Colrain, PhD, has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

Dr. Colrain currently serves as president and chief executive officer of MRIGlobal, an independent non-profit that performs multidisciplinary, applied research to advance national security and global health for the federal government and private businesses. Since 2022, he has overseen all aspects of management at the firm, directing approximately $120 million annually in research contract revenue and leading a workforce of 450 employees across multiple locations. His responsibilities include direct supervision of the executive team and business area leaders, balance sheet oversight and strategic guidance for the continued growth of the organization.

In addition to his primary responsibilities at MRIGlobal, Dr. Colrain is an honorary professor of internal medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center and has been a professorial fellow in psychology at the University of Melbourne since 2002. Each of these roles has allowed him to further his research endeavors while contributing extensively to the education of future generations of scientists.

Prior to joining MRIGlobal, Dr. Colrain was a director at Lisa Health from 2021 to 2022, where he contributed his expertise in organizational leadership and technology transfer. For four years, he served as president of SRI Biosciences, a division of SRI International in Silicon Valley. During his tenure there, which began in 2001, he held several key positions including senior vice president of SRI Biosciences and executive director of SRI Brain Sciences. He directed programs in human and animal biomedical research, pharmaceutical chemistry discovery and engineering applications, and was pivotal in developing robotic systems to support advanced drug discoveries and developments.

Though his scientific career counts many milestones, one of Dr. Colrain's most significant achievements to date was building a human research program from inception for SRI International. When he joined SRI, there was no existing infrastructure or funding for such a program. Over the course of two years, he established a fully operational laboratory that secured National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding. The laboratory continues to thrive more than two decades later, maintaining an international reputation for excellence and producing hundreds of publications — a testament to his enduring impact on the field.

From 1999 to 2001, Dr. Colrain was a senior clinical research scientist at Stanford University Medical Center following a visiting professorship at Stanford University while he was on sabbatical from the University of Melbourne. Stanford subsequently offered him a full-time position due to his expertise in sleep research.

Earlier in his career, Dr. Colrain was a tenured academic staff member at the University of Melbourne in Australia and previously achieved tenure at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. He began his international academic journey as a postdoctoral research fellow in anatomy at the University of Tasmania Medical School.

Committed to advancing science and industry collaboration beyond his primary roles, Dr. Colrain has served as chairman of the board of directors for the Alliance for Energy Innovation, manager and operator of the National Laboratory of the Rockies (previously the National Renewable Energy Laboratory) since 2022. He was treasurer and board member for Keystone Symposia on Molecular & Cellular Biology from 2019-2025, and board advisor for Forest Devices Inc. since 2022. Furthermore, he is an active member of the National Defense Industry Association, the Research Society on Alcohol and the Sleep Research Society.

Dr. Colrain earned a Doctor of Philosophy in psychology with a focus on sleep research from the University of Tasmania in 1987 after completing a Bachelor of Science in psychology and computer science at the same institution. His academic pursuits were influenced by Dr. John Trinder, a professor who specialized in sleep research and encouraged him to join his laboratory — an experience that led to Dr. Colrain's honors thesis, early software development work and ultimately his first publication in 1987. Their long and fruitful collaboration continued for decades, with their final joint paper published in 2018.

To further enhance his leadership capabilities, Dr. Colrain completed the executive program in strategy and organization at Stanford University Graduate School of Business in 2021 and earned certification in communicating about culturally sensitive issues through LinkedIn in 2020. Along with his education, he attributes his success to a willingness to take risks, an eagerness to learn from others and a passion for tackling new challenges — qualities that have shaped his approach to leadership and ability to relate to his students.

Also known for his contributions as a civic-minded citizen, Dr. Colrain has volunteered as a research professor at the University of Kansas Medical Center since 2022. and has been a member of the board of trustees for the University of Missouri-Kansas City since 2023. He is an active member of the Greater Kansas City Civic Council and chairs their National Security Sector committee.

Dr. Colrain's scholarly output is extensive: he is the author or co-author of 190 published abstracts, 160 peer-reviewed publications, and 10 book chapters on topics ranging from neuroscience to sleep research and biomedical innovation. In recognition of his outstanding contributions to scientific advancement, he holds three secured patents and was the recipient of a prestigious fellowship from SRI International.

Happily married and a proud father of two daughters, Dr. Colrain values his family deeply; his spouse Carol is a senior database architect with Oracle, their eldest daughter excels as a mechanical engineer and their younger daughter recently completed her graduate studies as an object conservator and has established her own business entity.

Outside of his professional life, Dr. Colrain has played the trumpet since age 9, performing with big bands and British brass bands and providing the bugle calls for Anzac Day ceremonies as well as Memorial Day and Veterans Day events. He has also participated in pro-am concerts with the Kansas City Symphony and enjoys water sports, road biking, hiking and spending time immersed in nature as a balance to his research and educational endeavors.

Determined to further his impact in the future, Dr. Colrain aims to ensure MRIGlobal remains the preferred partner for governments and private companies within the chemical and biological defense sector while expanding its national and international presence. His achievements and prospective goals alike reflect a longstanding legacy defined by innovation, leadership and devotion to helping others across scientific disciplines worldwide.

About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.

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